What's Up, G Nation, I couldn't let CB have all the fun with presenting you with Black History Facts. So for the rest of the month, I would like to introduce you to some African American's who changed the world of technology; those who paved the way for yours truly. :)
So let's start with, Gerald A. Lawson
GERALD A. LAWSON
Do you own any of the X box, PlayStation, or Nintendo systems? Or have you every played on a friends? Do you call yourself a gamer? Well, you can thank Gerald A. Lawson, a self taught engineer who created the first home video game system with interchangeable parts!! That's right, gamers, his work paved the way for Nintendo, Xbox and PlayStation.
It all started in 1976 with the Fairchild Channel F Home Entertainment System that became the bases for modern systems. Lawson was the director of engineering and marketing for Fairchild Semiconductor, where Apple's Computer's co-found Mike Markula had headed Marketing. Lawson also founded and rand Videosoft, a video game development company that made software for the Atari 2600. He also made one of the earliest arcade games, Demolition Derby, which debuted not to long after Pong.
In the 1970s he joined the Silicon Valley's Homebrew Computer club where at the time he was the only black member. While he was with the club he met Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak. Lawson was born December 1, 1940 and died April 9, 2011. It was until March 2011, that Lawson was honored as an industry pioneer by the International Game Developers Association shortly before his death.
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